Mark 9:30-37 | Carl Bloch | Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me

Mark 9:30-37   Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me

Let the Little Children Come unto Jesus, Painted by Carl Bloch (1834-1890), Oil on copper, Painted circa 1870, © The Museum of National History, Frederiksborg, Denmark Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him. They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Painting In today’s reading, Jesus places a child before the disciples. At that time children had barely any social status. Many children died at a very young age, and children were devoid of any legal status, protection or care from society. The parents had to provide all that. So children were completely vulnerable and solely dependent on their father and mother. Yet, children also represent the future at the same time. They would carry on the family name, provide for their ageing parents, etc… So children for Christ represent both the ‘dependence' and the ‘future’. Our painting by Danish artist, Carl Bloch, shows Christ holding two children, one by the hand, one embraced in His right arm. He is telling one of His disciples how important it is to be like that child. A child can’t help us in our careers, a child can’t help us with our ambitions… On the contrary, a child needs things and is dependent. So when Christ says ‘anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me’, He means that we should welcome people simply because they are people. We should not be calculating about whether people can do something for us or not. And if that is how we approach the people around us, then we are welcoming God into our lives… by Patrick van der Vorst